Philadelphia, PA — An African American man from Philadelphia was reportedly thrown off a city bus by police because he was seen not wearing a face mask. A disturbing video of the violent incident has since gone viral online.
In the video, multiple police officers can be seen forcibly removing the Black passenger from the bus while he was struggling and yelling “Get the f— off me!”
The officers then let him go but one of them threw his phone on the ground. He picked it up and called someone. “Yea ’cause I ain’t have no f— mask,” he told someone on the phone about the reason he was removed from the bus.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the SEPTA public transportation service requires riders to wear face coverings inside the bus or police officers will remove them.
“The covering can be as simple as a shirt, bandana or anything else someone can grab at home before they head out,” spokesperson Andrew Busch said in a statement, according to WHYY. “At a minimum, these masks and facial coverings could help keep the person wearing them from spreading germs, and if everyone wears them, we would have a great deal of added protection.”
The Philadelphia Police Department said the unnamed man was not arrested and he did not receive a citation. They added that an investigation regarding the incident is ongoing.